Irreplaceable Insects: The History of Insect Jewelry

Irreplaceable Insects: The History of Insect Jewelry

Insects are a polarizing design choice in the world of art and fashion. Some people can’t separate the new creations from their real life creepiness, while others love the interpretation of the tiny critters and enjoy displaying them in their home or on their person. We may not think twice about seeing a $10 necklace with a tiny bee charm on the store shelf, but the history of insect jewelry actually goes back quite a ways. There are many different facets and lesser-known details about this topic that are not easily accessible to the average person, so we’ll just stick to a more general overview for the purposes of this blog. 

Why Wearable Insects?

This may be the most pressing question of this topic. Out of everything in the world, why would insects be the source of inspiration for something as ornamental and delicate as jewelry? For people throughout history, nature has been extremely influential in different areas of life: cooking, art, poetry, clothing, decor, music, and jewelry. Even as civilizations expanded and man-made structures became more common than larger plots of land, natural elements continue to remain on trend in on way or another. One smaller grouping is the specific creatures that are found in nature, like birds, animals, and insects. 

There isn’t a solid reason why insect jewelry in particular was so popular throughout history, but it may be in part due to the fact that humans naturally find the beauty and hidden meanings in things when we are at our best. We like to romanticize parts of the world we live in, and that includes the other living creatures that we cannot communicate with through words. Insects have been around since the beginning of the world, so there are plenty of past generations who had their own experiences with and interpretations of these tiny critters in their time. Insects have been immortalized through jewelry and art that often makes them look more picturesque than their real selves. Every culture and time period has unique characteristics and beliefs, but we will just look at a couple of the largest ones that seemed to enjoy finding uses for these persistent pests. 

Insect Jewelry in the Victorian Era

Possibly the most vibrant time for insect jewelry was the Victorian period, ranging from 1837 to 1901. A major reason for this seemingly-random trend was fatigue from the rapid advancement of technology and society as a whole. The Industrial Revolution brought about so many incredible inventions that we still use to this day, but it’s easy to see why the people of the time wanted to get back to nature after being surrounded by new technology and schools of thought. As a result, all forms of art were impacted by this return to the natural world, and insects were a major part of this. People at the time collected natural specimens and critters, and insects were thought to carry different meanings depending on the species. Insects are still used in certain decor pieces today, so the nature theme hasn’t left our society after all these years. Some of the most common pests were given meanings by the Victorian era and the times before it, including:

• Butterflies: souls
• Beetles: longevity
• Bees: industry
• Spiders: perseverance and skill
• Flies: humility

As for insect jewelry in particular, there were a few different ways that they were worn. One was to craft fake insects, usually beetles, and heavily decorate them. They would put gemstones around the body of the insect and make the legs out of gold or silver. The most common way to wear these insect-themed jewelry pieces was on a broach, which they would pin to their lapels. One of the most interesting functions for these broaches was by attaching small springs to the bottom of the insect. This way, the insect would bob around when the person moved! The other main way was more disturbing, as people would pin live insects on their lapels. Some of them would still be decorated with gems to make them prettier than just an insect pinned to their clothes. This tradition was started by the Egyptians, but they did it in a less showy way than the Victorian era.

Using insects in jewelry was a symbol of both status and culture. It showed that the person wearing it knew about the trends and fashion of the time. Predictably, only the wealthy wore insect-themed jewelry, and jewelry in general, at first. But with the occurrence of multiple gold rushes and more job opportunities for the working class, insect jewelry became more accessible to the general population. There were many different artists who utilized insects in their jewelry designs, but the most well-known to this day was René Lalique, who specialized in jewelry and glass designs. He used the Art Nouvaeu style, the main form of art involving insects, since nature was the focus of the style. Dragonflies were the most common insects used in this style, interestingly enough. Any insect jewelry pieces from the Victorian period are pretty valuable today and often sought after at auctions. 

Mayan Culture: Mayan culture predates the Victorians and therefore is more difficult to know much about without the help of archaeology. But in terms of insect jewelry, we know that they also liked to use a live insect as a brooch. They would use zopherus beetles on chains and decorate them with gems. There is even a Mayan tale about why this was common practice in that time. The basic premise is that a princess loved a man from an opposing clan, and a magical healer turned the princess into a living brooch so she could always be with her love. The idea of wearing a living insect isn’t very appealing in our culture today, but the tradition dates back a surprising amount of centuries as a way to connect with nature and wear a stylish piece of jewelry. 

Deeper Meanings

It’s totally understandable to just like a piece of insect jewelry for the look of the insect itself. Jewelry is an optional addition that can be used just for decoration, for a deeper reason, or a combination of the two. Some of the more commonly-used insects in jewelry have taken on a variety of meanings over the decades, and are still pretty popular today. Let’s look at a few of them together!

Butterfly: The deeper meanings of butterfly jewelry are all connected to the metamorphosis process. Butterfly jewelry is said to be all about transformation and portray change in a positive light. Renewal is a major part of the butterfly’s life, and this translates to their meaning in the world of jewelry. Someone may wear a necklace or broach with a butterfly on it if they are going through a time of major change or finding the beauty in the new phases of life.

Bee: There are a few different meanings for bee jewelry that are all focused on their hardworking nature. One is working hard and being industrious in general, which makes sense when you consider the bee. Another meaning is sweetness, thanks to the delicious honey that they spend their lives producing. A third meaning is diligence and individuality, which are both important to people who want to make a difference through their work.

Dragonfly: Dragonflies may seem like a random insect choice for jewelry, but they are actually extremely common. Their coloring and symmetry lends a lot to the world of jewelry, making for some intricate works of art. This one also carries the meaning of transformation through its process of metamorphosis. The iridescence, appearance of gradual color change with different angles, of the dragonfly wings in real life are often replicated in jewelry, which makes this insect a clear choice for a piece of jewelry in any time period. 

Scarab Beetles: Scarabs in jewelry have been around for many centuries, and their meanings did not change too drastically over time. In the Victorian era, soldiers would wear scarabs as protection since they were believed to have supernatural powers. Scarabs have always been connected with protection and eternal life in some form, and were also connected with the Egyptian sun god Ra. Today, dated scarab jewelry is very rare and expensive, which may be in part due to its deeper meanings. 

Is Insect Jewelry Still Trendy?

Like we said earlier, it’s not out of the ordinary to find a piece of jewelry with an insect on it today. Butterflies are everywhere, and will likely continue to stand the test of time as a picturesque insect for all kinds of jewelry and accessories. But even the other insects have been used in recent years, like ladybugs, dragonflies, and bees. It’s hard to say what trends will stick around and continue to make an impact on our culture. But one way to look at this one in particular is the fact that insect jewelry has been around for centuries in different cultures, even with it taking on new forms and materials, may be a testament to its staying power and lasting impact on people of all ages. 

Pest Control is Not a Temporary Trend

Fashion and jewelry trends come and go, and are heavily influenced by the current state of society. What is trendy one day is often considered to be out of style the next week, never mind the next month. But one thing that will never go out of style? Pest control! Our experienced technicians are always committed to providing you with the most efficient and focused pest control services. Contact us at any time if you are interested in pest control services to handle any pests that aren’t being used as decor pieces.

Citations

Emmett, A. (2019, February 22). The deeper meaning of insect jewellery. Henryka. Available at https://www.henryka.co.uk/blogs/news/meaning-behind-dragonfly-butterfly-jewellery (Accessed on June 7, 2022). 

Longstaff, E. (n.d.). Collecting antique insect jewellery. Homes & Antiques. Available at https://www.homesandantiques.com/antiques/collecting-guides-antiques/collecting-antique-insect-jewellery/ (Accessed on June 7, 2022).

Tedesco, L. (2021, January 5). Insect jewelry was common during the Victorian era, but the peculiarities didn’t stop there. The Travel. Available at https://www.thetravel.com/victorian-insect-beetle-jewelry/ (Accessed on June 7, 2022). 

The history of insect brooches. (n.d.). AC Silver. Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://www.acsilver.co.uk/shop/pc/The-History-of-Insect-Brooches-d415.htm